Struggles of Having a Roommate

Posted on by collegestudentstruggles

 

Although I touched on dorm life in one of my first posts, I really did not go deep into the struggles of having a roommate. The truth is, there is no such thing as “the perfect roommate” and you shouldn’t expect one! This post, I will be going through just some of the classic frustrations that I have heard about peoples’ roommates.

  1. Their significant other is in the room all the timedownload (5)

At first, this may not bug you, but eventually you will probably get tired of planning showers, studying, and relaxing around them being there. This situation gets worse when you don’t particularly like their significant other.

  1. They live at their significant others

Some people may count this as a pro, but sometimes your roommate will just basically move out, leaving you with a room that has two people’s stuff in it but with only you actually living there. One of my friends has literally only seen their roommate three times this school year because of this.

  1. They won’t take out the trash102309_trash_philavanh_wanda-003

Enough said.

And if your goal is to make them take out the trash, just tell them, don’t try to play games by not taking out the trash in the hopes they will eventually because that just leads to an overflowing trashcan. Trust me on this one.

  1. Showering isn’t part of their regular routine

I get that different people have different routines, and I’m definitely not saying that everyone needs to shower every single day, but going weeks without showering is pretty gross. Just like with the trash, feel free to approach this one, not for them necessarily, but for your own sake. This honestly could be a big misunderstanding where they are showering, but it’s not when you’re around or something.

  1. Bedtime routines don’t match upsleepin___by_toonpirate-d4gdrsa

If you’re lucky, you’ll get a roommate that goes to bed and wakes up at the same time as you, or at least respects your bedtime schedule. By respect, I mean that they try to be quiet when they are up later than you or if they get up earlier than you they don’t turn all the lights on. Unfortunately, not everyone gets paired with a roommate that is respectful to your sleeping needs. If you get someone who thinks coming in super late, being obnoxiously loud is okay, then you could be in for a very tiring semester. As always, it is perfectly fine to voice your opinion and tell them that you’d prefer if they tried to be quieter. If it continues, feel free to get your RA involved or skip right to just finding a new roommate.

Along with the struggles that come with having a roommate, there are also many pros so don’t let this list scare you away from this crazy adventure! The video below talks about a few of the most common pros and cons of having a roommate!

Published by collegestudentstruggles

Currently a human biology major striving to become an occupational therapist specializing in pediatrics. ❤

16 thoughts on “Struggles of Having a Roommate”

  1. I was very fortunate to be paired with a roommate in the dorms that I got along with great in regards to all of the traits you mentioned above. However, when I moved into my house the story changed. I have become a lot more tolerant of a sink full of dishes and smelly roommates to say the least.

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  2. Laura, strong work! What a relevant topic to many. I’m impressed with the quality of your posts, which are focused and reflect clear engagement with your topic. I like particularly the way that you’ve structured them; they’re easy to navigate. I enjoyed the pictures especially; they really seem to reflect the reality of your experience (the trash picture…wow!). You’re doing a stellar job incorporating images and connecting with your audience. I like that you reference your first post as it shows that you’re thinking about the blog as a whole rather than disconnected topics, and I thought that the gym and cafeteria posts were quite funny in their truths. I love that you have an “About” page. Your blog is easy to navigate. Keep up the good work!

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  3. Very great post that I think a lot of college students can relate to! I was very fortunate to have such a wonderful roommate experience, but I have heard many horror stories about roommates.

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  6. Hello,

    For the majority of my college years, despite my freshman year, I really did not have positive experiences nor did I build positive relationships ( necessarily) with my roommates. Not that the experiences were negative but let’s just say, I am looking forward to the day where I come home to no one but myself. I love organizing and keeping things clean but with roommates, it’s never a equal effort! Trash overflowing….let me take some initiative to do that. Dishes in sinks for days….let me help you. Shower full of hair..let me wash that off. What is that smell….let me find out. Stove messy from dinner last night…let me clean it off because it only takes a few seconds to do so.

    Don’t get me wrong, having roommates provides a unique experience and I am grateful because I got to meet one of my best friends today by doing so but certainly I will not take for granted to the day I move alone.

    ~ Bre

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    1. I’m struggling with a lot of the experiences you’ve had with trying to keep the room clean with my current roommate. Next year I’m going to be in a single room but am going to have suitemates (both of which keep their rooms very clean) and I am definitely looking forward to it to say the least! I have nothing against my current roommate and we will probably remain friends, but we just simply did not fit all that well as roommates.

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      1. During my Junior year, I had my own room too ( certainly a plus having my own door and environment) so that is great for you. Yes! What we are struggling with is not a reflection of the individual that we are rooming with, it just is a matter of living preferences.

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  7. I really enjoyed this post, just because I can relate to it!! I am a sophomore and have yet to actually get a roommate that I get along with. In the fall I will be moving to my own room and I am so excited!! I totally agree with everything that you said!! Way to make it relate!!

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